HEALTH TIPS

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) draft clinical guidelines on the use of opioids for chronic pain make it clear: drug-free approaches such as physical therapy are the "preferred" treatment path for chronic pain.

Pop quiz: Which has the greatest benefits for your health - Healthy eating, quitting smoking, or regular physical exercise? - The answer may surprise you. There is compelling scientific evidence to show that physical fitness provides more health benefits than either quitting smoking or losing weight.

Referred pain is defined as pain that is felt at a distance and often entirely remote from the original source. The understanding is nerve signals from various parts of the body may “feed” into the spinal cord using the same pathway. The pain felt can overlap with adjacent nerves and therefore be felt in another area.

Pain is the number one reason why patients come to Luke and Barker physiotherapy. Pain can be acute (short term) or chronic (long term), and it is an unpleasant sensation in response to changes in the body. Learn more in this article.

At some point in your life—maybe after an injury or surgery, or just after you reach a certain age—there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself in a physical therapist’s office. And as you look around at the balance balls, ultrasound machines, and other contraptions, and as your body is pushed and pulled in a variety of odd and sometimes even painful ways, you may ask yourself: Does any of this stuff really help?

People everywhere are experiencing the transformative effect physical therapy can have on their daily lives. In fact, as experts in the way the body moves, physical therapists help people of all ages and abilities reduce pain, improve or restore mobility, and stay active and fit throughout life. But there are some common misconceptions that often discourage people from visiting a physical therapist.

Patella Femoral Dysfunction, or PFD, is a condition of the knee that can have many causes. The result is anterior knee pain or pain in the front part of one or both knees. The condition usually is found in young women and adolescent females, but it can affect anyone.

Sinusitis is inflammation of the sinuses in your face. It can be acute (“fresh”) or chronic (long-standing). The causes may be viral, bacterial or even fungal, but the majority of people have some sort of irritant as the trigger. Smoking and other pollution is by far the biggest cause of sinus problems.